News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-11-24
A NEW RACE IN GOTHAM.
Chatham Square Babies with Mon,
golian Fathers and Caucasian
Mothers.

A New York letter to the Richmond
Dispatch says: The other day [ had just
turned into the square and passed Mott
street when commotion a short dis
lance in advance attracted my at
tention. The heterogeneous mob of
pedestrians were collected about some
moving object.
"Hurry up, Sally, let's see its face, ;"
shouted a very dirty girl of ten, whose
frowsy red and freckled face brushed
my arm. A dozen of the assorted
babies on the block-sOme of them with
faces double the age of their bodies
were making for the centre of attraction,
and followed their example.
Can you guess what caused such
passing sensation-for nothing short of
a fire causes more on the Bowery? One
poor little Chinese baby of two celestial
summers, who toddled along the walk
with his tiny fist holding hard the hand
of Chinaman, whose native dress indi-
Gated that he was well-to-do. The little
one was attired in compromise be-
tween New York and China, with
trousers and jacket, and fancy tur-
ban was on his head. \ wonderfully
bright face it was that gazed up stolidly
at the crowd, and accepted rough en-
deavors to caress with all the serenity
of q wooden image. Curious to know
who the swell youthful heather might
be, I Intercepted his guardian in my
very best Chinese, and was informed
that Tom Lee, famous as the only dep
uty sheriff of his race in New York, was
the father.
II.
fellow and opulent withal, and the pro-
prietor of pretentious grocery at the
corner of Mott street and the BOwery.
! knew, too, there was Mrs. Tom,
who was not Ceinese, SO / was puz-
zled to account for the true features of
the boy, and determined to pay the
lady an afternoon call at once and
clear the matter up.
She happened to be visiting, I was
informed, at the cigar-store of a friend
a few doors deeper into Chinatown.
This shop, which was very neat, was
decorated on one side with Chinaman
nursing a black eye on a soap box, and
on the other with an ord nary cigar
case. Behind the later sat rather
pretty woman with German features,
bust engaged in knitting, and looking
so neat and comfortable that it was
quite impossible to address her without
lifting my hat.
81 beg your pardon, madam" said I,
"but am looking for the wife of Tom
Lee"
"No, you're looking at her, sir" was
the smiling response.
''Indeed."
My evident admiration and the pur-
chase of scent cigar for fifteen cents
placed me at once upon an easy and
chatty footing, and I related to her the
sensation caused by her youngsters af-
ternoon promenade.
"Oh, yes" she said, ''they always
follow him."
"But how is it that he has such Chi
nese features ?"
FI'm sure [ don't know. [ have had |
four children since L married Tom, and !
all looked like their father. Two of
them are dead"
''Does a Chinaman make good hus-
band?"
The little woman's answer was en-
phatic.
"Well, / wouldn't want to change my
husband. He's always kind to me, and
when I want thing [ have only to ask
him and he gets it.
care there many women of New
York married to Cbinamen?"
"About fifty. l guess. You see, there
are about three thousand Cinnamon in
the city and only a very few Chinese
women. Babies2 Oh, well, there are
about three hundred from the mixed
but all that have seen have
the features of the father. Of course
you don't often see them on the street.
Why2 Because they draw a crowd, and
it isn't pleasant for the Chinaman who
has them in charge. You can find them
down through this street, though, if
you know where to look. Good-day,
sir If my baby is still on the Bowery,
tell him to come home"
l couldn't help thinking, as strolled
on, what new and strange conditions
the progress of the Chinaman here has
evolved, and what startling thing it
would be if all these Chinese babies
we're simultaneously deposited in Madi-
son Square. Yet here they live their
OWN daily lives amongus and few of us
are the wiser.